GORGEOUS GORGE
Deep in the QUEENSLAND OUTBACK, DAVID LEVELL discovers the stunning beauty of Cobbold Gorge, a CHASM CARVED into the LANDSCAPE that managed to remain undiscovered for MILLENNIA .
GLIDING EFFORTLESSLY through Cobbold Gorge in Queensland’s Gulf Savannah country, the question soon becomes, which way to look? Down into the still crystalline waters? Ahead to the narrow rocky rift we’re drifting towards? Sideways at the crazy curl of ochre-banded cliff ? Or above, where the rock walls either side of us rise 30 metres to frame the sky? Well, no worries; you can do it all. The silence is timeless, and there’s time enough to take in the natural beauty in every direction, inexhaustible as it is. Queensland is justly celebrated for its coastal treasures – beaches, coral reefs, rainforests – but its enormous inland has much to offer. The wide open spaces of northern Queensland’s Gulf Savannah is outback par excellence: red earth, roos galore, wedge-tailed eagles, red-tailed black cockatoos and towering termite mounds dotting the bush everywhere. Among its lesser known jewels are its amazing and unique gorges. Sprawling 1284 square kilometres, remote Robin Hood Station isn’t the only Gulf cattle property bigger than some small nations (it’s four times the size of Malta). But it’s the only one with Cobbold Gorge, the very latest thing in gorges, unknown to everyone but its Indigenous inhabitants until the 1990s and only 10,000 years old – by far Queensland’s youngest. “For those on the left, we call that Duck Rock,” our guide, Graham, sings out from the back of the small flat-bottomed boat. Drifting quietly along the half-kilometre gorge, our boat tour is approaching the narrowest point – just two metres across – and half our boatload ducks to avoid a looming rocky overhang. In the heat of the day, sunlight bouncing off the water dances on the cliff walls in wavy shimmers. Silvery spiderwebs – the spider species is yet to be determined, Graham tells us – garland almost every crevice. Butterflies and dragonflies flit over the water; an azure kingfisher is poised on a branch. At the terminus, where the gorge narrows to nothing, a large snake lies half-concealed in matching waterside shrubbery. “I’ll just cut the engine so you can see how quiet it is,” Graham says. The engine was almost silent anyway, but our chatter evaporates and the still, trancelike magic of this hidden wild place envelopes us all. Pronounced ‘co-bold’ (not ‘cobbled’), the spring-fed (thus never dry) gorge is named after its tributary, Cobbold Creek, which commemorates pioneering Gulf pastoralist Frank Cobbold (1853-1935), who held several large cattle stations in the region. Exactly how it came to be is still a mystery, but there are two theories. One is that a split in the sandstone gradually weathered its way to meet and divert Cobbold Creek. The other says seismic uplift made the creek’s previous watercourse uphill, forcing the flow into a nearby crack to begin the process of gorge formation by water-borne erosion. Either way, the narrowness of the gorge signposts its extreme youth – 10,000 years makes it a toddler, geologically speaking. The water, slowly carving an ever wider channel through the rock, has barely begun its work. Eventually – in the far distant future, so don’t worry – the cliff sides, undercut at the high water mark, will collapse and push the process further along.
At the waterhole where the gorge begins, graffiti on its sandstone cliff-wall backdrop – ‘J. E. CLARK 1900’ – shows that Robin Hood’s first owners, the Clark family, came here around the time they took up the property. But the gorge hidden beyond the curl of surrounding cliffs kept its secrets for close to another century. Cattlemen have little time for mucking about with boats and this spot, in the far south-west corner of the vast station, was never much visited (although it was surely known to the local Indigenous Ewamian people). The Clarks occasionally returned to water cattle, but rarely this far up the creek. Cob Terry did much the same after he bought Robin Hood in 1964. Eventually, in 1992, Cob’s son Simon decided to find out where the far end of the obscure waterhole led to. Hauling a tinny through the bush, he and a couple of mates became the first people – as far as anyone knows – to go boating into the unsuspected gorge. Simon was enthralled by their discovery. By 1994 he was taking small groups to see the geological marvel in his very big backyard. The tourism venture bloomed rapidly, from 200 visitors in the first year to 10,000 annually now, staying at Cobbold Village, which the Terry family built to cater for their visitors, three kilometres from the gorge across the Robertson River. In 2009, 47.2 square kilometres around the gorge was declared Cobbold Gorge Nature Refuge, protecting a unique landscape along with its fauna and flora, including the rare Gilbert River ghost gum. Paddle-boarding is the most recent innovation. But most visitors still experience the gorge much like Simon did that first time, on a small watercraft. Many will see freshwater crocodiles – about 18 ‘freshies’ currently call the gorge home, and are often seen resting on its rocky banks. Tours also include a bushwalk to the top of the escarpment overlooking the gorge. En route Graham tells us stories of this land, occasionally pointing out plants such as the ‘soap tree’ acacia (its green seeds lather up nicely) and the poisonous red-berried gidgee gidgee. At the top, an extensive rocky plateau baking in the sun, we peer down into the twisting chasm below. For an even fuller picture, a helicopter ride presents rugged Robin Hood in all its primal outback glory. Taking off from Cobbold Village, we swoop over rolling hills lightly forested with trees of dark bark and brilliant green foliage. Countless termite mounds cast long shadows in the afternoon sun. But this is just the spectacular curtain-raiser. The bone-dry Robertson River channel appears as a broad sandy strip, endlessly bisecting scrub. Flying along and then across it suddenly puts us above what they call Sandstone Country – 80 square kilometres of rocky highland encompassing the gorge. From the air, this landscape reveals itself as a broken table-top. Massive, roughly flat sandstone slabs look like grey fingers, separated by thin chasms bursting with bright green treetops. And finally, Cobbold Gorge itself – a thin black cleft snaking through the sandstone. From this perspective you can see the fissure that swallowed us itself swallowed, now just one seam in the Sandstone Country fabric. Hovering just above where we hiked only this morning, this already feels like a reunion – or perhaps the discovery of a new and fascinating angle to a valued friend.
Massive sandstone slabs look like grey fingers, separated by thin chasms of bright green treetops.
MORE GORGEOUS GORGES Queensland has an abundance of gorges that are just as compelling as Cobbold. If breathtaking scenery is your thing, gorge yourself on these.
LAWN HILL
Located in the Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park, in the remote north-west highlands of Queensland, Lawn Hill’s sandstone cliffs, emerald waters and surrounding lush vegetation are stunning. Formed by Lawn Hill Creek, the gorge is an oasis in the outback landscape, attracting an abundance of wildlife, and offering visitors the choice of walks (tracks into the gorge are of varying lengths and grades), canoeing, cultural and historic sites, or the simple pleasure of drinking in the spectacular views. There is camping inside the National Park and also close by at Adel’s Grove.
CARNARVON
The big daddy of Queensland gorges, Carnarvon is located in the Carnarvon National Park, a short drive from the regional centres of Roma or Emerald. The gorge itself presents endless options to stand in wonder at, from the cool stillness of the Moss Garden to the sheer vastness (and amazing acoustics) of the Amphitheatre. There are two absolute must-dos here: walk to the Art Gallery, a significant Indigenous site; and set out on the 87-kilometre Carnarvon Great Walk, taking in soaring cliffs and sandstone escarpments. Seasonal camping is available in the park, with year-round camping and accommodation options nearby.
PORCUPINE
Set inside Porcupine Gorge National Park, the lookout above the gorge is about 60 kilometres north of the town of Hughenden. One of the big ticket items here is the imposing Pyramid, a monolith of sandstone erupting from the floor of the gorge and shaped like, you guessed it, a pyramid. The birdlife is another draw for visitors, and there is plentiful camping available, allowing you to pitch a tent and indulge in the solitude and beauty of it all.
ROBINSON
Situated within Expedition National Park, 90 kilometres north-west of the town of Taroom, Robinson Gorge is bordered by cliffs up to 100 metres high and lined with bottlebrushes, wattles and cabbage palms, which have been around since the time of dinosaurs. There are walking tracks and campsites throughout the park.
COPPERFIELD
Copperfield Gorge at Einasleigh (329 kilometres by road south-west of Innisfail) is just a short walk across the road from the shady balcony of the iconic Einasleigh Hotel. Broader and deeper than Cobbold, it has volcanic basalt rock, a waterfall and a beach, and offers seasonal fishing and swimming, as well as great hiking tracks.
HELL HOLE
This is where gorges get real: accessing Hell Hole Gorge National Park, 256 kilometres north-west of Charleville via unsealed roads, requires 4WD vehicle and there are no formal walking tracks or campsites with facilities. Visiting Hell Hole Gorge is about being removed from the world and coming face to face with nature at its most rugged and untouched. Camp near the Hell Hole Waterhole and strike out (with a compass) to see waterholes overlooked by sheer cliffs, and spot wildlife such as the red-tailed black cockatoo and yellow-footed rock wallaby.